Electrically actuated closure operator



April 15, 1952 H. H. HALL 2,592,891

ELECTRICALLY ACTUATED CLOSURE OPERATOR Filed Nov. 25, 1949 '3 '3) n 4| lo 13 I6| l 12 :e :4 17 45 4e 43 3 Fig. l

IN VEN TOR.

HARVEY H. yHALL BY MW 'l w ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 15, 1952 ELECTRICALLY ACTUATED CLOS-URE OPERATOR Harvey H. Hall, Denver, Colo.

Application November 25, 1949, Serial No. 129,380

7 Claims. l

This invention relates to improvements in power actuated closure operating devices.

While power actuators for closures such as lgates, doors, and the like, have formerly been proposed, it is believed that their relatively restricted use has been largely due to the complicated nature thereof and the attendant high cost of manufacture.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an electrically operated actuator for pivlotally mounted closures, such as gates, which is extremely simple in construction and hence may be manufactured at low cost.

Another object is to provide an actuator which may be quickly attached to present closure constructions.

Another object is to provide an actuator which employs a pivotally mounted motor and a screw directly driven thereby, rotation of the latter operating a threaded member, pivotally connected to the closure.

A further object is to provide housing means for protecting the moving parts of the device.

Still further objects, advantages, and salient features will become more apparent from a consideration of the description to follow, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the subject of the invention attached to a conventional gate, a portion of the motor housing bein-g broken away;

Figure 2 is a top plan thereof;

Figure 3 is a section taken on line 3-3, Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged section taken on line 4-4, Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a section taken on line 5 5, Figure 4.

Referring in detail to the drawing, Figure l illustrates a conventional closure, such as gate Il), which is swingably mounted on gate 'post II by suitable hinges I2, the gate being interposed in any opening, such as that illustrated in fence I3.

A support I4 having a semicircular flange I5 Welded or otherwise secured thereto is flxedly mounted to gate post II by screws I6 which extend through the flange, preferably adjacent opposite vertical edges thereof, the support being braced by gusset plates I1, I8 welded at their vertical and horizontal edges to the ange and support, respectively.

A reversible electric motor I9 is secured to a base plate 29, this plate having a pivot pin 2I secured thereto and extending through support I4 and retained thereon by a washer 22 and cotter key 23. As shown in Figure 5 the pivot pin is somewhat oif center to the center of mass of the motor in a direction toward the operating mechanism to be subsequently described.

The motor I9 is provided with a conventional drive shaft 24 to which is secured a tubular coupling 25,' by means of a set screw 26. A threaded shaft 2l has one end thereof secured to the coupling by set screw 23, this shaft threadedly engaging an internally threaded tube 29. The threads in the tube extend only part way of its length, as indicated between points 30, 3I, the remainder of the tube being of a size to receive, in journaled relation, the periphery of the threads on the screw. This is illustrated somewhat exaggerated in Figure 5, the space between the screw and tube representing only the normal clearance required for the journal relation. This tube is provided with a pin 32, extending laterally thereof, which pivotally engages a bracket 33, a washer 34 and cotter key 35, effecting securement of the pin to the bracket.

A housing tube 36 surrounds the entire length of the screw and the movable tube engaging same, this housing tube having one end journaled on coupling 25 and prevented from axial movement on the coupling by a screw 31', which engages in a circular groove 33 in the coupling. An elongated slot 39 is provided in the wall of housing tube 36 at the bottom thereof, through which I pin 32 projects and in which it slides rectilinearly when the screw rotates. A cap 48 closes the outer free end of housing tube 36.

Bracket 33 may be secured to the closure in any suitable manner so that it will be rigid therewith, and for purpose of illustration an angle iron 4 is secured at its ends to vertical members 4I, 42 of the closure by means of screws 43, 44, respectively. The lower end of bracket 33 is secured to rail 45 of the closure by screw 45, and the upper end secured to the angle iron member in any suitable manner. A brace 4l extends between angle iron 4I) and bracket 33 to preclude any relative movement between the bracket and closure.

A housing 49, shown in section in Figure 5, and broken away in Figure 1, covers the motor and protects it from the elements. As shown, this housing is secured to base plate 20, a circular aperture 59 being provided to receive coupling 25. If desired, housing 49 may be secured to support I4, in which case aperture 50 is slotted to permit coupling 25 to swing therein as the motor moves about pivot pin 2|.

Any suitable limit switch may be provided to automatically stop rotation of the motor when the gate swings to either open position as shown by dotted lines in Figure 2, or to closed position as shown by full lines in Figures 1 to 3. For purpose of illustration a limit switch 5l is shown attached to the motor and swingable therewith which engages stop pins 52, 53 at the two limits of movement of the closure. Operation of the motor maybe initiated by a switch disposed at any convenient point. After this switch is operated the motor will continue operation until the closure reaches one or the other of its limits of travel. Since switches of this type are well known in the art and constitute no part of the invention per se, details thereof have been omitted in the drawing to simplify the disclosure.

In operation, rotation of screw 21 moves tube 29 axially of the screw, thus varying the distance between pivot pins 2l and 22, this change of length swinging the closure about its hinges l2. During this operation the motor, its housing, and all of the actuators connected to the coupling swing as a unit about pvot pin 2 l It will now be apparent that all of the operative parts are enclosed and protected from the weather. Due to the irreversibility of screw 2? and tube 39, the closure will be locked at any position at which the motor stops. In event of power failure, cotter key 35 may be removed from pin 32, the latter removed from bracket 33, after which the closure may be manually operated. The device is of utility for gates, for fences of factories, private estates, etc. Due to the re1- atively small number` of parts, and the simplicity thereof, the device may be economically manufactured and readily installed.

Having described the invention what I claim as new is:

1. In a gate of the type mounted to a gate post for swinging movement about a vertical axis adjacent an end of the gate, the combination therewith, of a support secured to and extending laterally of the gate post, a reversible motor disposed on top of sa-id support and pivotally secured thereto Vfor swinging movement about a vertical axis, a drive shaft for said motor rotatable about a horizontal axis, a screw directly connected axially to said drive shaft forming an extension thereof, a tube threadedly engaging said screw, a pivot pin secured to said tube eX- tending radially thereof, a housing tube surrounding said screw and tube, means anchoring the housing tube to the motor to hold it from longitudinal movement when the screw is rotating and the tube is moving along the screw. the housing tube having a slot extending lengthwise thereof, the pivot pin passing through said slot; a bracket means fixedly secured to the gate extending laterally thereof, said bracket having a bearing near its outer end for receiving the pivot pin.

2. The combination defined by claim l wherein said drive shaft and screw are connected together with a tubular coupling, said one end of the housing tube being journaled on said coupling.

3. The combination dened by claim 2 including means for preventing relative axial movement between said coupling and housing tube.

4. The combination defined by claim 3 wherein the preventing means comprises an annular groove in the coupling, and abutment means carried by the housing tube having a portion thereof disposed within the groove.

5. The combination defined by claim 4 including closure means for the other end of the lhousing tube.

6. The combination deiined by claim 5 including a limit switch for automatically disconnecting a source of electric current to the motor when the gate swings to one of its limits of movement.

7. The combination defined by claixn wherein said limit switch is actuated by swinging movement of said motor.

HARVEY H. HALL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,674,662 Rowntree June 26, 1928 1,859,364 Haskell May 24, 1932 1,874,926 Dilley et al. Aug. 30, 1932 2,011,057 Kraft Aug. 13, 1935 2,301,950 Hulse Nov. 17, 1942 2,337,902 Lakin Dec. 28, 1943 2,371,336 Levon Mar. 13 1945 2,400,572 Parsons May 21, 1946 2,504,408 `Grifin Apr. 18, 1950 

